Former convicts face a difficult situation once they re-enter the workforce. Many companies do not hire felons or their hiring practices depend on what type of crime the ex-con committed. In Ohio, there are a number of companies that do hire ex-cons, thus giving these people the opportunity to become productive members of society again. The following is a list of a few of these:
– Ace Hardware
– Allstate Insurance Companies
– Baskin-Robbins
– Best Western (Hospitality)
– Chicago Mercantile Exchange
– Coldwell Banker
Keep in mind, not all ex-cons will be honest about their criminal history on their job applications. They might omit certain crucial details or elements of their past because they think those details might disqualify them from a job. Thus, regardless of what an application says, employers should always run criminal history and background checks before extending a job to someone.
Lying on resumes and applications becoming common
In this economy, people are liable to lie about other things on their applications and resumes, too. And this doesn’t just happen in low-profile jobs. For instance, Ronald Zarrella, former CEO of Baush & Lomb, a pharmaceutical company, claimed to have a master’s in business administration from New York University. The truth was, he had enrolled there, but never received his degree. However, he remained in his job until 2008 when he resigned following a series of product recalls and lawsuits
Another similar scenario was that surrounding Michael Brown, former director of FEMA. He is the man blamed for the mishandling of Hurricane Katrina and in the resulting reviews and investigations, it turned out that despite his claim for having been in charge of the emergency services division for the city of Edmund, Oklahoma, Brown had simply been assistant to the city manager in an intern-like position. He was also never a professor at the University of Central Oklahoma, his claims to the contrary.
An especially devious resume falsifier was Adam Wheeler, who was expelled from Bowdoin College for plagiarism. He then attended Harvard University by way of a fictitious resume, and his work there was characterized by further plagiarized work. After being discovered and expelled, he went on to craft further false work and fictitious resumes in an attempt to attend Yale or Brown University. His plans were cut short, however, when he was arrested for larceny and identity fraud.
Background checks prevent embarrassment
Each of these circumstances could have been prevented if companies and institutions had been more diligent in their background searches and education verification. Luckily, informed companies can learn from these mistakes and institute policies to screen job applicants thoroughly before an offer of employment is made.
